________________
Celibacy and Chastity
tions could also be accommodated. Manu tells as an ecclesiastic
doctor that husband and wife are one. He compares the wife to the soil and husband to the seed.1 All organisms are the products of these two. He further says that the seed is more potential than the soil, so is the husband more potential, powerful and active than the wife; when both are good the product would be the best. Though the basis of marriage is the same throughout, but in form and shape considerable differences had appeared by the time of Manu. In the Vedic times marriages took place among the persons of full maturity, but Manusmrti approves instances of child marriages on various grounds. Manu declares clearly, "A child may be given away in marriage, before age, if a young man of excellent character, family and physique be found."2 It has likewise been proclaimed that no girl should be married so long. a person having good qualities is not found for her. There is a mention of certain forms of marriage by Manu, some are considered higher while others are lower. However, whatever the forms of marriage may be, adultery and rape are duly condemned in Manusmrti and other authoritative texts, in conformity with the spirit of 'indriyanigraha'. But Manu emphasizes only that much of 'indriyanigraha' which does not go against the idea of preservation of race; and sex desire under proper subjugation is fundamentally necessary for the maintenance and continuity of race,
as
Jainism
Jainism stands more for renunciation or nivṛtti than for activity or pravṛtti, the ideal lies in brahmacarya. Even 'pravṛtti' (activity) should culminate into nivṛtti or renunciation. But the realistic Jaina philosophy does not altogether ignore the institution of marriage. It is also understood as a
1. Ibid.
2.
3.
4.
Ibid., p. 450.
E. R. E., vol. 8, p. 451.
Manu.
5.56.
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